The Only One
by shipsinlove3
Summary: Lucy makes her way to Storybrooke in the hopes that her grandmother Emma can help her convince her father that Fairytales are real and she's his daughter. Will Emma be able to help her son believe, or will he shut her out, like he did with Lucy? What will she do when a certain someone comes back to help? This story takes place at the start of Season 7.
1. Lost Love

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". OUAT is one of my favorite shows on television and I'm a big Swanfire shipper. This story will take place in the future, during the upcoming season 7 arc. I'm not sure where the writers are taking Emma's character, but this is my version of the events coming up. Thanks for reading.

The Only One

Chapter 1

Lost Love

Emma stands next to the grave she's been visiting for the last several years. With each year that passes, it doesn't get any easier to come here, to know that _he's_ here six feet under. This wasn't supposed to happen, yet fate had dealt them one bad hand after another. The two brought together, only to be torn apart over and over. Emma tries to hold back her tears, as she places a rose on top of his grave. She wishes Henry were here to visit his father, but he left years ago to live in the Enchanted Forest. He had promised that he'd come back one day, but she hasn't seen him in nearly ten years. The pain of losing her son and Neal grips her heart. She takes a deep breath to try to calm herself. Emma attempts to clear her mind by thinking about how much she still has in her life. She has her parents, brother, and Hook, who have filled some of the void in her life left by Neal and Henry.

Emma grabs her Swan necklace that he had given her so long ago and finally lets the tears fall down her cheeks. After his death, she used to wear the necklace everyday around her neck and took comfort in it like he was still there with her. Neal had promised that he'd watch over her and Henry before he died in her arms and she knew that he'd keep that promise. After being with Hook for a while, she had decided to put the necklace in the box she keeps all her meaningful mementos in because it was her way of moving on with her life. Even though, deep down, she knew that she'd never be able to completely move on from him.

Now, she wears the necklace every year when she comes to visit his grave and tries to picture him standing next to her. Neal being the gentle wind carrying her through, just like he had when he was alive. "Grandma." Emma's heart stops and she turns to see a little girl about ten years old standing there. There's something familiar about the girl that she can't quite put her finger on. "You don't know me, but my name is Lucy. I'm your granddaughter and I need your help." Emma stares at the little girl like she's got one eye, but despite how ridiculous all this is, she can see she's telling the truth.

Her superpower is still very well intact, even after all these years. "I believe you, kid." Lucy breaks out into a smile and it reminds her so much of Henry and Neal's' smile, that it takes her breath. She walks up to her and stares at the grave. "So, this is grandpa?" Emma nods at her granddaughter, not knowing what to say in this situation. "Dad talks about him a lot." She stares at Lucy's sad features for a moment, afraid of the answer to her next question. "Where is your dad?" Lucy shakes her head and looks up at her with teary eyes. "A curse made him forget everything and sent him here to this world. He told me to protect the Storybook at all costs and find him." She feels a pang in her heart and tries to wrap her head around what she just said. Emma's eyes fall on the storybook in her granddaughter's arms and she gives her a small smile. "Come on kid, it's time for me to tell you about Operation Cobra." Lucy gives her a grin in return and the two walk out of the cemetery, a piece of Henry suddenly coming back to her.

Emma walks down the main street of Storybrooke with Lucy by her side. She sees a lot of Henry in the little girl and it makes her smile. Emma always loved Henry's optimism in all things and she's happy that the trait was passed onto his daughter. She walks past Gold's abandoned shop. Him and Belle had moved to Neal's apartment in New York to live years ago. After they left, her and Hook moved to Chicago for a fresh start. Only a few people still live in Storybrooke, the rest have moved on with their lives somewhere else. "Is that the bug grandma?" She's knocked out of her thoughts and her heart drops, when she sees her old bug shining in the sunlight. Emma knows this is impossible, yet here it is, exactly where she used to park it. When she had moved to Chicago, she had taken the car with her, but it had been stolen one night. The incident had happened a year after they had moved there and it had hit her hard to lose another thing that represented Neal in her mind. In a way, it was like losing him all over.

As they reach the bug, Emma peers in, expecting the car to be completely trashed. Her heart nearly jumps out of her chest, when she sees a familiar person pop up in the backseat. At first, Emma thinks that she's hallucinating _him_ here. Maybe the day has finally gotten to her and she's conjured him up in her mind somehow. She finds herself frozen, staring into the eyes of the man that still has a piece of her heart. "Who's that grandma?" She looks at Lucy, who's now standing beside her, staring at Neal in confusion. Emma's heart stops at her granddaughter's words and she now knows that she hasn't gone crazy after all. She barely registers from the corner of her eye, Lucy opening the side door. "Emma." That voice makes her heart skip a beat, as Neal comes face to face with her. "How…?" He shakes his head at her. "No time to explain, let's just say, I'm here to help our boy." All Emma can do is nod her head, hoping that this isn't a dream and her lost love has actually come back to her.


	2. Quality Time

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". I'm happy to see that there are a few people following this story. I wasn't sure if there were any Swanfire fans left, but I'm glad there are. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 2

Quality Time

Emma can't stop stealing looks at the man that was once her everything. She can hardly believe that he's walking on the other side of Lucy, their granddaughter. Emma decides that that's the craziest thing of all. "Em, are you okay over there?" Her heart speeds up at his words and she locks eyes with him. "As okay, as anyone would be, seeing their granddaughter and ex back from the dead." Neal gives her that smirk she's always loved and she quickly turns away. It's not that she's not happy to see him, she's ecstatic, but the thought of him disappearing again on her makes her on edge. Emma's already lost him three times and she knows that she can't go through that again, she won't. "So, you're my grandpa?" She looks over at Lucy, who's staring at Neal in awe. He gives her a smile. "Yeah, kid, I guess I am." They share a look and Emma can't help but smile at the scene. She wishes Henry could be here to see Neal and Lucy together. All four, spending time together, despite the strange way it all came together. "My dad said that you met when grandma stole the bug from you." Neal exchanges a look with her. "Your grandpa had stolen the bug first and then lied about it being his car." Lucy gives her a smile and then looks back at Neal. "Is that true grandpa?" Neal shakes his head and smirks. "That's true, but she was the one that got caught by the cops." Emma glares at Neal and then looks down at Lucy. "Wow, dad didn't tell me that part of the story." He suddenly stops in front of Gold's shop and turns to her. "Can you open this with magic, I know my father has a protection spell over it?" Emma nods her head. "I'll open it, but I need to know why we're here, Neal?" He takes a step towards her. "After you open it, everything will become clear. I need you to trust me." She takes a moment to really look at him for the first time. He hasn't aged a day since she last saw him in the in-between, but his chocolate eyes are still as soft and gentle as they always were.

There was a time when she hadn't trusted him, when they ran into each other in New York, but she had soon realized that he was the same man that she had fallen in love with. He had made a mistake by leaving her, but he had thought what he did was in her best interest. Emma had forgiven him because she had understood how a mistake could shape your life. Giving up Henry had always felt like a mistake, but she had thought she was doing what was best for him. "Okay, stand back." Neal nods and Lucy walks over to stand by him. Emma puts her hands up and the door bursts open moments later. She opens the door and all three walk into the shop. It's practically empty, but Neal makes his way around the counter. Emma and Lucy follow and she sees him kneeling on the ground opening one of the floorboards. She stares at him in confusion, but he quickly pulls out a folded map. Neal looks up at her and Lucy with a smile. "This map will lead us to where my father hid all his posions and other enchanted objects. He gave up magic after Gideon was born and left this map for anyone who needed to find it." Emma locks eyes with him. "Who else knows about this?" He places the floorboard back in place and stands-up. "Your dad knows where to find it, but that's it." She stares at him in confusion. "Should I even ask how you know that?" Neal gives her a small smile and shakes his head. "Probably not, just know, that I found out from a very reliable source." Emma nods her head, accepting his answer for now, but definitely planning to get it out of him later. "Are you two, ready?" Her and Lucy nod in unison and the three make their way out of the shop together.

Emma follows Neal and Lucy back down the street to her old bug. She watches Lucy hop into the backseat and Neal into the driver's seat. Emma makes her way to the driver's side door and shakes her head. "Did you forget, that I'm the one that drives this bug?" He shakes his head. "Just like old times." She scoffs and he slides over to the passenger's seat. Emma gets behind the wheel and turns the key in the ignition. She finds it surreal to be in this car again with Neal, but it's not any more surreal, than her parents being Snow White and Prince Charming. Emma looks in the rearview mirror and sees Lucy smiling wide, just like Henry. It grips her heart, as Neal starts giving her directions out of town.

A few hours into the trip, Neal tells her to pull over. She does so and turns to him. "This is where my father hid everything." Emma nods her head at his words. "Right outside of New York, what aren't you telling me, Neal?" He shakes his head. "Not yet, Emma." She stares at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he's hiding from her. Neal gets out of the bug and Emma gets out to follow. Lucy comes up beside her, as they make their way off the beaten path. After a few minutes, she feels a little hand in hers and turns to see Lucy looking a little scared. She can't blame her, with every step they take, she's feeling just as uneasy. Neal finally comes to a stop on a clear patch of land and waves Lucy over. Emma stares at the two for a moment in confusion. "I need to prick your finger with this dagger." Emma's breath catches, when she sees the Dark One's blade come out of Neal's pocket. She rushes towards them. "Neal, what are you doing and how did you get his blade?" He looks over at her with a frown. "That's a long story, but I can tell you, that my father gave it to me." Emma tries to wrack her brain of how that could be, but doesn't have to think too hard to put the pieces together in her mind.

Her eyes lock with his. "Gold's dead?" Neal shakes his head solemnly. "No, his memory was taken too." Emma nods her head. "What does Lucy have to do with this?" He gives her a frown. "Her blood is the only way to unearth his magical objects and posions." Emma's brain begins working to put everything together and she realizes the answer, that's been staring her in the face, since he came back from the dead. "Your father knew what was going to happen." Neal nods again, looking guilty. "Yeah, he said he had seen a prophecy about it, when he met me in the in-between." Emma nods her head. "He casted a spell, didn't he?" Neal looks over at Lucy and smiles. "He did and now it's up to me to get Lucy here to prick her finger and chant this incantation." Neal turns the map over and kneels down in front of Lucy. "All you have to do is prick your finger and say these words. 'My Blood Will Unlock the Door' three times. Can you do that?" Lucy nods her head. "If it's going to help my dad, I'll do whatever it takes." He smirks, despite the tense situation. "It looks like the apple didn't fall far from the tree." He looks over at her and she gives him a small smile. Lucy turns to her. "I've never done a spell before, grandma. Can you help me?" She nods at her words. "Yeah, all you need to do is close your eyes and feel good magic flow through you. Think of your happy place." Lucy raises her eyebrow. "What's your happy place?" Emma suddenly feels uncomfortable, but if it'll help her granddaughter find her happy place, then she has to tell her. "Tallahassee." Emma doesn't dare look over at Neal, knowing that he probably looks, as stunned as she feels saying it out loud.

It's quiet for a few moments. "What's Tallahassee, grandma?" She locks eyes with Lucy and gives her a sad smile. "It was supposed to be a happy place, a home, but someone broke their promise." Her granddaughter stares at her in confusion. "Then, why is it your happy place?" Emma feels her heart twist and she finally manages to look over at Neal, who's staring at her so sadly, that she has to tear her eyes away from him and look back at Lucy. "Even though that promise was broken, doesn't mean, I don't still envision a happy life there." Lucy gives her a nod and sticks her right hand out to Neal. "Alright grandpa, let's do this." Neal, still taken aback by her talk about Tallahassee, finally snaps out of it after a few moments and pricks Lucy's finger with the blade. Emma sees the blood trickle out of her little finger and she's proud when her granddaughter takes it all in stride. She's a strong little girl. "It's all you, kid." He stands up and backs away from Lucy at a safe distance. Their eyes lock and she knows that they're going to have to talk about her Tallahassee confession later, even though she knows how awkward it's going to be. In Neal fashion, he gives her a small smirk, before focusing on their granddaughter, starting to chant the incantation for the first time. Emma prays that this will work and magic will steer them in the right direction, just as it always has.


	3. Operation Dad

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". First off, I'm sorry for not updating this story sooner. Unfortunately, I've had some unforeseen computer problems and needed a few weeks to earn enough money to get it fixed. I'm working on catching-up with all of my fanfictions, so thank you for being patient. This chapter will feature Lucy's POV and then switch to Neal's. I think alternating the POV's will work nicely in this story. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 3

Operation Dad

Lucy opens her eyes to see a large tree trunk in front of her. She turns to look in every direction for her grandparents, but she doesn't see them anywhere. Lucy takes a deep breath, remembering what her father told her whenever she got scared. _You can overcome any fear, as long as you believe you can._ Her father was always saying things like that and now he's gone. Lucy closes her eyes and calms herself by repeating her father's words a few times, before finally opening them. She knows she has to be brave, for her father, grandma, and grandpa. For _her_ family. Lucy takes out the map from her backpack and is surprised to see a large red X on it. She squints her eyes in the sunlight and notices an address on the bottom of the map. _1000 Broad Street, New Jersey._

Lucy makes her way to the sidewalk and tries her best to wave down a taxi. She watches several taxis pass her by, until one stops on the curb beside her. Lucy opens the door to the backseat and settles herself in. The taxi driver, a middle aged man with grey hair that reminds her of the goat herder in the village she used to live, turns with a glare. "Pay up kid." Lucy reaches into her pocket and hands the man a few bills that she had "borrowed" from her mother's purse. She was taught never to steal, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The scary old man gives her a smirk and puts his foot on the gas. The taxi moves forward and Operation Dad begins.

The taxi finally stops and Lucy hops out. She closes the door and the taxi speeds away before she reaches the sidewalk. Lucy sees a payphone in the distance and makes her way over to it. She figures that this would be the best time to call her grandparents and tell them she made it. She picks up the phone and dials the number that her grandmother had whispered to her on the way to the clearing. The phone rings a few times, before picking up. "Grandma." There's a knock on the window and she turns to see a homeless man pointing to the phone. Lucy puts up two fingers. "Hey kid, we were beginning to worry, where are you?" She can't contain the smile on her face. "I'm in New Jersey." Lucy hears shuffling on the other end and tightens her grip on the phone. "What's the address?" Another knock on the glass window echoes in the booth and she knows time is running out. "1000 Broad Street, New Jersey." Lucy takes a breath, praying that the angry homeless man won't find a way to break in. "Hang tight, kiddo, we're on our way." She smiles when she hears her grandpa's voice on the other end and pictures in her head him snatching the phone from her grandma. Lucy's sure that didn't go over well, as she hangs up the phone.

Neal sits in the passenger's seat playing with the radio. Emma had insisted on driving, claiming that he drove like an old man. He can't help but smirk at the woman sitting next to him. She's always been everything to him and he's glad that their doing this together. His smirk deepens when he sees her start gripping the steering wheel, thankful that he still knows what makes her tick. "Em, everything is going to be okay." Neal watches her knuckles turn white and he knows that it's going to take a lot more than just telling her it's going to be okay for her to believe him. "Pull over." She turns her head slightly and looks at him in confusion. "I'm not pulling over when our granddaughter is out there by herself." Neal decides to reach out and touch her shoulder. "That kid is tough, we'll get to her." He hears Emma take a sharp breath in, before whispering something that he barely hears. "She's just like him." Her words bring an ache to his heart and he has to turn to look out the window. He tries to think about anything else but their lost boy.

They make it to New Jersey in record time and it doesn't take Emma long to find the place. She slams on the breaks and they both hop out of the bug. The home in front of them is like any other typical suburban house, but there's something not quite right. Neal looks over at Emma and she shakes her head. Good, they're both on the same page. "I'll check around back for Lucy." Emma gives him a small nod, but grabs his hand before he can walk away. Their eyes meet and she squeezes his hand. "Be careful." Neal can barely concentrate with Emma so close to him. It had been a long time since they'd been _this_ close. After warning her about the pirate, he had thought that was the last time she'd be that close. Neal's glad he was wrong. "You be careful too, wouldn't want you to end up spending forever with me up there in the great beyond." Emma gives him a small sad smile. "It wouldn't be so bad." Something in his heart ignites and he realizes for the first time, how much his death had impacted her. Watching her with Hook from the great beyond had made him think that she had moved on from him, letting their love become a memory. Yet, as she stares into his eyes, he knows that neither one of them will ever move on from the other. Looks like, True Love _isn't_ meant to die after all.

Neal searches every inch of the backyard and comes up with nothing. He wonders where else Lucy could have gone, as a scream interrupts his thoughts. Neal takes off towards the backdoor of the house without thinking. He rushes through the door, his heart pounding within his chest, and nearly collapses when he sees Lucy lying unconscious in the middle of the floor. Neal sees Emma kneeling next to their granddaughter holding her hand tightly with tears in her eyes. He rushes over to them and picks up Lucy from the ground. Neal checks for a pulse and faintly hears one. "It's good to see you again, Bae." That voice makes his blood run cold, as he turns around and sees his father staring back at him.

He's wearing dirty tattered clothing and Neal wonders if this is all part of whatever sick scheme his papa has cooked up. Gold gives him a devious smile. "She'll be fine, but as for your boy…" Neal feels his blood boil. "You did this?" His father takes a few steps towards him. "I made a deal with a witch to bring you back. She looked into my soul and saw that it was my greatest desire. The witch wanted a second curse cast in exchange for bringing you back. The girl was just a pawn to bring you here." Neal takes a step back and mentally slaps himself for believing that his papa had become a better man after his death. His eyes meet his father's "What about Belle and Gideon?" Neal watches his papa's eyes grow dark. "Belle left with the child two years ago. I tried to find them with magic, but it looks like their cloaked." Neal tightens his grip on his granddaughter, oscillating between empathy and hate. He knows what it's like to lose your family and not be able to reach them. Neal looks down at his granddaughter and finally settles on a side. "Don't come after me or my family, papa." As Neal begins to rush out the door, he hears his father's voice hit his ears. "You'll never escape me, Bae." Those words echo through his head like a song on repeat, as they hop into the bug and head to the closest hospital.


	4. Waiting

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". I hope everyone liked that twist in the previous chapter. I like the idea of Rumple being involved with the second curse like he was with the first. I think Neal being his motivation to make a deal with a witch also makes sense. He's always been his weak spot, let's see how the rest of this story unfolds. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 4

Waiting

Emma speeds into the hospital parking lot, praying that they can get Lucy seen by a doctor, before any more damage is done to her. She can't believe that Gold would stoop this low to get his son back. Emma had thought that he'd turned over a new leaf years ago, but she guesses she was wrong. She parks the bug and quickly gets out of the car. Emma watches Neal open the back door and pick Lucy up. Her heart drops, when she sees her limp little body and tears fill her eyes. "Em, she's going to be okay. She's a fighter, just like her grandma." Despite the tense situation, Emma finds herself smiling slightly through her tears. Neal gives her a smile, before rushing into the hospital and up to the front desk. She feels her heart pounding within her chest, as the nurse looks up from her computer. "Name?" Emma exchanges a quick look with Neal and then she turns to the nurse. "Lucy…Swan." Emma takes a sharp breath, trying to come up with something. "I'm sorry, did you say, Swan?" Neal smiles at the nurse. "Yeah, it's a cool last name, isn't it?" The nurse stares blankly at him, not finding the humor in what he's said. Emma gets it though and smiles slightly at Neal's reference to when they had first met. He had told her that Swan was a cool last name and that's when he secretly started stealing her heart.

Emma would never tell him that, but it's the truth. "Is she any relation to you?" She gives the woman a nod. "She's our granddaughter." says Emma smoothly. The nurse nods at her words and types in some information. "Alright, we'll get her a stretcher and examine her. We'll have a doctor come out to the waiting room to talk to you, as soon as we have more information about her status." Emma stares at her in confusion. "Is there any way you could make an exception and let me come back with her?" The nurse shakes her head. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to sit out in the waiting room like everyone else, rules are rules." Emma's heart shatters at her words. She almost says something, when Neal wraps his arm around her and turns her in the direction of the waiting room. "You can't take her head off before she has our granddaughter checked out." Emma feels the anger radiating within her, but manages to keep it under wraps, enough for everyone else not to notice, but _him_. She sighs to herself, as they pass countless doctors and nurses in the hallway. They finally make it to the waiting room and she plops down on a chair. At this point, she doesn't care how she looks, she's just too exhausted and worried to care. Emma closes her eyes, wishing that all of this was just a terrible nightmare.

Emma is gently shaken awake and she opens her eyes to see Neal standing over her with two cups of coffee in his hands. He gives her a small smile. "I thought you could use this." Neal holds out one of the cups of coffee. She takes it out of his hand quickly and sips the hot liquid. Then, her eyes connect with Neal's. "You remembered." He smiles at her. "It's kinda hard to forget someone that takes eight sugars in one coffee." Emma gives him a smirk. "Look who's talking. I remember you only take your coffee with skim milk and nothing else." Neal shakes his head, as he takes the seat next to her. The two sit there in companionable silence, their granddaughter both on their minds. Emma realizes that this is really the first time they've been together alone since he came back. She takes a sharp breath in and turns towards him. "I'm sorry your dad did that to you." Neal shakes his head. "I thought the Dark One was finally dead and buried, but it looks like my father can't escape the darkness." Emma can see the sadness within his eyes and her heart aches for him. She knows how complicated his relationship is with his dad and she wishes more than anything, that she could do something to help. "We need to find Henry before your father gets to him." Neal nods at her words. "Do we know where he lives?" Emma shakes her head, feeling a heavy weight settle in her heart. "No, there's only one person that knows that: Lucy." Neal's eyes grow fearful, as the two continue to wait for news.

Emma's on her third cup of coffee, when the doctor comes out. They've been there all night and Emma's at her wits end. "Relatives of Lucy Swan?" She shoots out of the chair, with Neal right behind her, and the two stand in front of the doctor. "Are you relatives?" Emma quickly nods. "Yes, we're here grandparents, how is she doing?" The doctor looks down at the form and then he locks eyes with her. She's always been pretty good at reading people, it's her superpower, but she hopes to God that this is the one time she's wrong. "I'm afraid the news isn't good. Lucy is in a coma and it may be irreversible. We won't know how serious her brain damage is, until she wakes up." Emma's heart stops and her knees go weak. She hardly registers Neal's hands bracing her. "What's the chances of her waking up?" His question rings in her ears, but she still can't seem to register anything. "It's too early to tell, I'm afraid." Emma feels Neal's grip around her tighten and she knows he's scared too. "Can we see her?" Emma prays that the doctor says yes because she _needs_ to see her. "We'd like to run a few more tests, you can see her in about two hours. She's in room 215." With that, the doctor turns and gets back to healing people. Too bad, he couldn't do the same for Lucy.

Emma paces the waiting room for another few minutes, watching the seconds tick by on the clock, and turns to Neal. "I can't wait here anymore." He stares at her for a moment and nods. "I know, I can't either." Emma's brain starts to try and find a way to help save Lucy. She begins to pace again and finally it hits her. Emma looks over at Neal, who also seems deep in thought, probably trying to figure out a way to save Lucy, too. "Neal." He turns to her and they lock eyes. "I think I've figured out a way to save Lucy." Neal gets up from his chair and walks over to her. "What is it?" She shakes her head. "I don't know if it'll even work, but we could try and find Henry, maybe he could give her true love's kiss." A smile spreads across his face. "It could work, but we need to get him to remember first." Emma nods, knowing what a gamble this is. Her eyes lock with his. "We have to try, Neal." He nods at her words and smirks. "Alright, let's go find our boy." With that, the two leave the hospital and go in search for their lost boy.


	5. Our Boy

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". This has definitely been my favorite chapter to write so far in this story. I hope everyone enjoys the Swanfire family reuniting. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 5

Our Boy

They leave New Jersey, driving an hour out, until they reach a clearing. Neal watches Emma jump out of the bug and he's quick to follow her. He has no idea how they're going to pull off finding their son, but he knows that they've got to find a way. Emma stops in the middle of the clearing and closes her eyes tight. Neal also comes to a stop and gives her the space she needs to try and figure things out. A few minutes pass and Neal himself starts to wrack his brain. Maybe they could find him using something that belonged to him? He knows it's a gamble, but they have to try. "Em." Her eyes open and look over at him. Neal can see the fear within them and his heart aches. He knows how hard this is on her because he's feeling it too. "I think I've got a way to get to Henry, but I don't know if it'll work." Emma nods her head. "What is it?" Neal takes a few steps towards her and stops. "We could try a locator spell using an object that belonged to him." Emma looks at him in confusion. "How are we going to do that without a spell?" Neal shakes his head. "I didn't say it was a foolproof plan." He watches her take a sharp breath. "It's worth a shot." Emma makes her way back to the bug and returns a few minutes later holding a pocket knife.

Neal gives her a smirk. "Never thought I'd see you as a girl scout." Emma shakes her head. "It was Henry's switchblade that my father gave him before he went off to the Enchanted Forest." Neal nods at her words, feeling a pang within his chest. He wishes he would have been around then for his son. Neal remembers watching out for Henry on his new adventure, but it was different than actually being there with him. "Are you okay, Neal?" His eyes find Emma's and he nods. "Yeah, let's save our boy." She gives him a small smile and puts her hands out towards him. Neal gives her a smile and puts his hands in her warm ones. They lock eyes and something shifts between them. Neal can't help but focus on her lips and Emma seems drawn to his eyes. Lately, it's like the two being anywhere close to each other is dangerous. Neal should have known this would happen, with all their unfinished business hanging between them. They're so close, he can feel her warm breath on his cheek. "Em…" Neal looks at the only woman he's ever truly loved in his life. His heart does a somersault, when she tentatively puts her hand on the side of his cheek. "I think it's time for you to invest in a razor." He chuckles at her words. "They don't have those we're I've been." Suddenly, Emma removes her hand from his face and pulls away. Neal misses the contact and he wonders what made her back away from him.

Emma closes her eyes once more. "May this object lead us to our son, Henry Mills, wherever he may be." The scene changes and the rapid motion makes him nauseas. Neal can hear cars honking loudly and knows that they're in a city. His focus comes into balance and he sees the telltale tower in the distance. _Seattle_. Neal was here once years ago after he had left Emma in Portland. _Emma_. He doesn't feel her warm hands in his anymore and his eyes scan the area around him. Neal spots her in the distance and he figures it's because the force of the trip had separated them from each other. He rushes over to her and she gives him a small smile. "It worked." Neal nods at her words. "So, where to first?" Emma's eyes scan the area and then lock with his. "I guess those apartments over there are as good a place as any." Neal gives her a nod. "Lead the way." Emma starts to make her way across the stop walk to the apartment complex. Neal prays that they find Henry somewhere around here.

After two hours of searching, Neal and Emma reach the last apartment complex in the area. As they make their way up the elevator, Neal finds himself holding his breath. If they don't find their boy here, he doesn't know what they'll do. He feels a hand interlock with his and he turns to see Emma nodding at him. She's just as scared as he is, but at least they have each other. Neal gives her a nod back, as they search the directory of the apartment complex. His eyes scan the list and his heart stops when he sees Mills. "That's him." Neal turns to Emma and she gives him a smile. "513, let's go." Still holding hands, they make their way down the hall to their son's apartment. Neal takes a sharp breath in, as he uses his freehand to knock on the door.

The door opens moments later and Henry appears in front of them. It has been years since he's seen his son in person and he can't help but smile at how grown-up he looks. "Can I help you?" Neal feels Emma squeeze his hand. "My name is Emma Swan and this is Neal Cassidy. We're your parents." He watches his son's face etch in confusion and everything goes quiet between them for a few moments. "Not this again. A little girl stopped here the other day saying she was my daughter. Now you're saying your my parents. I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing…" Neal is taken aback by how cynical Henry is now, it's like he's a completely different person. The True Believer in him seems to have disappeared and it scares him. "We're not lying, kid." he blurts out. Henry's eyes lock with his and he shakes his head. "Look, I've got somewhere else to be, go find someone else to terrorize." He pulls out his set of keys from his coat pocket and Neal's heart stops. It's the swan keychain he had given Emma years ago. Their true love object, so to speak. "Where'd you get that?" Henry glares at him for a moment, looking down at his keychain. "It's all I have left of my parents." He feels Emma shift next to him uneasily. "Your father gave that to me and after he died, I gave it to you to remember him by. It's very important to me, to _you_." Henry's eyes soften a little, as he steps aside and lets them into his apartment. Neal sighs in relief that they've gotten to some part of him. Now, they just need to figure out how to get through to him completely.

Henry motions them to the couch and Neal takes a seat next to Emma. She's finally managed to let go of his hand, but she's still sitting closer than usual. Neal watches his son walk over to his desk and grab a book out of his drawer. He opens to a certain page and throws it down on the table in front of them. "Explain to me how a character in my book is sitting right in front of me." Neal looks at the page open and his heart drops. Emma's picture is laid out before him. "I told you Henry, we're your parents." Neal turns to Emma, who looks like the cat just got her tongue. Henry holds up the swan keychain. "So, by story logic, this is your true love object. Emma's true love is Hook, there's no Neal in my story." He stiffens at his son's words, not wanting to think about the Pirate that somehow weaseled himself into Emma's heart. It hurts that his son completely blocked him out of the story, even though he couldn't remember him.

The room is silent for a few moments, before he feels Emma's warm hand interlock with his. "Your dad may not be in your story, but he's a part of _mine_. He was my first love, the father of my son, and _my_ true love. I would have saved your dad from hell, if I could." The room is silent again and Neal's now staring at Emma in awe. He's always thought that she had stopped loving him somewhere down the line, but he guesses he was wrong. Emma's eyes lock with his and he finds himself lost in them. She gives him a tearful smile and his heart practically beats out of his chest. "Mom, dad." Neal tears his eyes away from Emma and he sees the tears in his son's eyes. Henry makes his way over to the couch and gets on his knees, grabbing both him and Emma into his arms. The three hug for who knows how long, reunited once again.


	6. Almost

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". The theme of this chapter is not everything is as it appears, keep that in mind throughout this chapter. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 6

Almost

Emma holds on as tight as she can to her son. She's missed him so much over the years and now he's in her arms again. Emma feels a few stray tears, as Henry pulls back and looks at them both with a smile. "Mom, dad, how?" She grabs his hand in hers and smiles. "It's a long story, but Lucy found me to help her break the curse and your dad found us to save you." Henry's smile fades and he stares at her in confusion. "Who's Lucy?" Emma's heart stops at his words. "Your daughter." Her son turns to Neal, with even more confusion etched in his expression. "I don't have a daughter." The words echo through the air and make Emma feel sick. How could this be possible, if they've just broken the curse? She feels Neal squirm next to her and hears him take a sharp breath. "Alright, buddy, let's start with what you remember, and we'll work our way back from there." Henry nods, still looking like a deer in the headlights.

He makes his way over to his desk chair and sits down. "Okay, I remember the obvious, you're my parents and Regina's my mother." Emma nods at his words, glad he remembers that much. "My grandparents are Snow White, Prince Charming and Rumpelstiltskin." She watches Henry wring his hands and she knows he's nervous. "I remember finding mom and helping her break the curse." Henry gives her a smile. "I also remember helping you find everyone's happy endings, including your _own_." The moment the words leave his mouth, she can see that he regrets it. Emma tentatively looks over at Neal, who's face is blank. She knows how much this hurts him because if the shoe was on the other foot, she'd feel the exact same. Emma still remembers how she felt when he had introduced her to Tamara for the first time. It felt like a dagger to the heart, even though she found out later, that she had been one of Peter Pan's minions. Emma reaches out and touches his shoulder. Neal doesn't turn to look at her, but she does notice how he tenses at her touch. "Dad, I'm…" Neal shakes his head. "I told your mom to find her Tallahassee, even if I wasn't a part of it." Emma's heart aches, those final words he had said to her were painful. She had often regretted not telling him the _truth_. Emma never wanted to find Tallahassee without him, she still doesn't. Sure, her and Hook had found love, but it wasn't how she had felt for Neal. "Neal." His eyes finally meet hers and she can see the pain within them. Emma's heart twists at the sight. "It's okay, Emma. I'm glad you found happiness and _moved on_." Those words sting the most. How could he think she could ever move on from him after everything?

When Neal turns away from her, she knows that things between them have changed. There's a tension now that wasn't there a few minutes ago and it scares her. "Is that all you remember, kid?" Emma tears her eyes away from Neal and looks over at Henry, guilt written all over his face. "No, I remember living in Storybrooke, until I graduated from High School. Then, I remember deciding to leave and create my own story in the Enchanted Forest." Emma looks back over at Neal, who gives their son a nod. "You don't remember anything else that happened after you went through the portal?" Henry shakes his head. "No, that's it." Emma takes a sharp breath in and wonders how they're going to get him to remember his daughter. Maybe they could try and find Lucy's mother, but the only problem with that is, they don't know where to look.

Emma sits in the driver's seat, listening to Neal and Henry try and come up with a plan to find Lucy's mother. She's hoping that whoever this woman is, she'll end up being Henry's true love. Emma knows better than anyone, that you can love more than one person, but you only have _one true love._ She stops at a light and peeks in the back at _her_ boys. Emma mentally slaps herself for thinking that Neal is still _hers_ and that he'll stay with her after all this is over. Her eyes shift back to the road and they continue on when the light turns. "I think our best bet is to try and wake up Lucy first, before we go on a wild goose chase to find her mother." Henry comes up between the seats and it instantly reminds her of when he was a little kid, popping out of her backseat. "Do you think I'll be able to wake her up, when I don't remember?" Emma shakes her head. "I don't know, but we have to try." Henry nods and settles into the backseat. Her eyes travel over to Neal, who's looking out the window in a daze. Emma hates this distance between them, but she doesn't know how to fix it.

They make it to the hospital and quickly walk to Lucy's room. Emma feels anxiety wash over her, as she opens the door to her granddaughter's room. Her heart stops, when she sees a familiar figure standing over _her_ Lucy. She immediately rushes into the room and puts her hands up. The person turns with a grin. "Hello, Miss Swan." Neal quickly comes up beside her and glares at his father. "Papa, get away from her." Gold shakes his head. "I told you the girl would be fine, bringing her to the hospital was a grave mistake." Emma stares in confusion at Gold. "Why?" He gives her a smirk. "Because you've played right into my trap again. You see, there was one stipulation that I didn't mention about the deal I made with the witch." Emma's heart drops. "You knew we'd bring her here?" Gold nods at Emma's words. "Of course, I knew you and Bae wouldn't trust me that the girl would be unharmed." Emma sees Neal out of the corner of her eye step towards his father and her heart accelerates in fear. "Neal." He ignores her and keeps moving towards Gold, until he stops right in front of him. "Stop playing games papa, what was the stipulation?" Gold smiles slightly at his son and Emma suddenly feels sick. "Your son's life, for yours. That was the deal, the witch should be on her way soon." Neal shakes his head. "You're not taking my boy." Gold looks over Neal's head and past her to the door. "I'm sorry, Bae, but I'm afraid it's too late." A whoosh comes through the door and nearly knocks her over.

Emma turns to see a grey-haired woman, dressed in clothes straight from the Enchanted Forest, standing in the doorway with a sadistic smirk. "This is fabulous, good work, Dark One." Her eyes scan the room for Henry, but he's disappeared. "What have you done to my son?" The witch's smirk widens. "Hello, Savior, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm afraid your son is in my custody now." Emma's heart stops, feeling completely helpless. She can't lose him again. "Take me." Neal comes up next to her. "You must be the Dark One's son, I've heard so much about. I'm sorry, but this deal is irreversible. Enjoy your second chance." The witch disappears, and Emma nearly collapses. She's lost him again and there's nothing she can do. "Em." She can't look at him right now, but she soon feels his hands on the back of her arms and pulls her around to face him. "I'm sorry." Emma sees the sadness within his eyes and she's sure it's the same in hers. "It's not your fault, Neal, it's Gold's." Her eyes land on the man that just stole their son away from them. Gold walks over and pats Neal on his shoulder. Neal jerks away from his touch and glares at him. "I'll never forgive you for this, papa." Gold gives him a smirk. "I'll be in touch, Bae." He walks out, and Emma feels her heart break. Neal gathers her up in his arms and she cries into his shoulder. She can feel his wet tears on top of her head and tightens her grip around him. Emma doesn't know how long they stay like that, but neither one of them move for a long time. "Grandma, grandpa." Emma's breath catches, as she turns to see Lucy sitting up in bed, with a look of confusion written all over her face. Emma wishes she could be happier that her granddaughter is finally awake, but she can't be, because her son has slipped through her fingers again.


	7. Reunited

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". I hope everyone enjoyed that twist in the story, I like the idea of Gold being the villain. I'm glad people are still following this story and I want to say thank you to those people. As always, thanks for reading.

Chapter 7

Reunited

Lucy stares at her grandma and grandpa, who are whispering back and forth with each other. She's trying to hear what they're saying across the room, but she can't. Ever since she woke up, they hadn't told her exactly what had happened. The confusion that she feels about everything is starting to frustrate her. "Grandma, grandpa, what's going on?" They turn, and her grandma wipes the tears out of her eyes. Lucy's heart clenches at how sad she looks, it must be bad, whatever's happening. "Your dad was here." Lucy can't help but smile. "Where is he?" Her grandma makes her way over to her bed and frowns. "Gold took him." Her breath catches at the thought of her dad being taken by Gold.

When she had been younger, her dad had told her all about _his_ grandpa Gold and how he had been the Dark One. A villain and the ultimate evil, that's how her dad had described him. Always choosing evil over everything good in his life. "Did he…remember?" She watches the tears start to fall down her grandma's cheeks again and notices her grandpa put his hand on the small of her grandma's back. Lucy feels her own tears start to well up in her eyes. "We'll figure out how to save him, kid." She looks over at her grandpa and tries to force a small smile. Lucy knows what her dad would say if he was here, believe that everything will work out, so that's what she's going to do.

Lucy gets one last examination to make sure she's fine enough to leave the hospital. A few of the doctors are so surprised that she's woken up, they call it a miracle. She's relieved, when they finally let her leave the hospital and they get into the bug. "How are we going to get my dad back?" Her grandma pulls out of the parking space and she hears her take a sharp breath in. "We need to get the Dark One's dagger." Her grandpa looks over at her grandma in surprise. "You know where it is?" Her grandma nods, without taking her eyes off the road. "My parents have it." Both her grandparents go quiet. Lucy looks between them and remembers her dad talking about her great grandparents.

She had been both surprised and happy that her great grandparents were the legendary King and Queen of the Enchanted Forest. It was awesome to think that she was related to royalty. "So, does that mean we're going to Storybrooke?" Her grandma nods, still keeping her eyes on the road. Her dad had told her that everyone living in Storybrooke was protected by a spell that her grandma Regina had casted before he left to go to the Enchanted Forest. They were made immune to the curse, so it should be easy to get the dagger. Lucy can't help but be excited that they're going to the place where her father grew up and where the loved ones she's never met live.

A few hours later, Lucy opens her eyes and looks out the window. Her heart starts thumping away in her chest, when she sees the _Welcome to Storybrooke_ sign. She smiles wide, as her grandma makes her way into town. Lucy's eyes scan the old-fashioned buildings along the way and her smile goes wider, when they pass by the famous _Granny's Diner_. Her dad had gone on and on about their hot chocolate with cinnamon. Her _dad_. Lucy's smile fades when she thinks about what Gold might be doing to him right now. "We're here, kid." her grandpa says from the front seat.

Lucy gets herself together and opens the door. She makes her way around the bug and looks up at the house in front of her. It's not where she imagined the King and Queen of the Enchanted Forest living, but it's still pretty cool. Her grandma comes up beside her. "Ready, kid?" Lucy nods at her words and they all make their way up the steps to the front door. Her grandpa knocks and a few seconds pass, before Prince Charming appears. Lucy smiles up at her great grandpa. His eyes circle around and land on her grandma. She sees him smile and Lucy feels a sense of happiness wash over her. "Emma." Her great grandpa takes a step forward and wraps her grandma into a hug. Lucy can't help but smile at the scene in front of her, loving seeing her family reunited together.

When her great grandpa pulls back from her grandma, his eyes fall on her grandpa. He gives him a shocked smile. "Neal, it's good to see you, but… how?" Her grandma shakes her head. "I'll explain everything, dad." Lucy hears a car pull up behind her and she turns to see her great grandma. She breaks out into a big smile, when her eyes land on her grandma standing on the porch. "Emma, this is a surprise, what are you doing here?" She watches her great grandma rush up the steps and grab her grandma into a hug. They stay like that for a few minutes, until her great grandma pulls away and finally notices her. "Who's this?" Her grandma smiles and grabs her hand. "Mom, dad, this is our granddaughter, Lucy." Her great grandma gives her a wide smile. "It's nice to meet you, Lucy." She watches her great grandma's eyes freeze on her grandpa. "Neal, you're alive?" Her grandpa nods and her great grandma walks across the porch to give him a hug.

After she pulls back from her grandpa, she looks past them towards the bug and then her eyes lock with her grandma's. "Where's Henry?" She watches her grandma take a sharp breath in. "Gold has him." With that, her great grandma gives her grandma another tight hug, before her great grandpa opens the door. "Let's talk about all this inside." Her great grandma puts her arm around her grandma to guide her inside and her grandpa follows behind. Lucy is left with her great grandpa, who gives her a smirk. "I guess I'm your great grandpa." Lucy gives him a smile and then nods. "You are, and my dad said you taught him how to swordfight." Her great grandpa smiles sadly and then puts his hand on the top of her head. "I did." With that, her grandpa walks into the house and she follows behind. Her dad would have loved reuniting with his family and it clenches her heart to think that he's missing it.


	8. What Now?

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". This chapter was an interesting one for me to write because I really wanted to incorporate Snow and Charming into the plot. I absolutely love their family dynamic and how they always manage to save the day. Anyways, thanks for reading.

Chapter 8

What Now?

Neal settles on one of the barstools behind the kitchen island and takes in his surroundings. This place has Charming written all over it, from the grand staircase to the swank living room, he can't help but smirk at it all. Even when they're living in this world, they still act like royalty. "Let's start from the beginning. How did Lucy find you?" Neal looks up at Charming across the counter. "She didn't find me, I came back to help get Henry's memories back." Charming's eyes shift to Emma and Lucy who are sitting next to him. "My dad lost his memories after the second curse was casted. So, I found him in this world, but he didn't believe I was his daughter. He had told me stories growing up about his family living here in Storybrooke, so, I knew what all of you looked like because of the Storybook." Neal watches Lucy take out the familiar Storybook that Henry used to carry around and put it on the counter in front of them. He looks over at the Charmings, who both stare at it in surprise.

A few minutes pass, before anyone speaks. "Can it be broken the same way the first curse was?" Neal turns to Emma next to him and can see how scared she is about everything. So, he grabs her hand on the counter, not caring about doing it in front of her parents. Emma may not be his wife, but she's still got all of _his_ heart. Her eyes meet his and his heart speeds up. She's got that look in her eye, the one that tells him that she's glad he's here with her. Neal remembers that look well because it was the same look she gave him every day they were together in Portland. "Are you two…? Neal tears his eyes away from Emma and looks over at Snow. "Uh…" He feels Emma squeeze his hand. "It's complicated and we don't have time to get into it right now. We need to focus on how we're going to get Henry back." Both the Charmings stare at her in confusion, like it's the biggest surprise of their lives, instead of being happy about it. Did they not think this could be possible? Had the pirate actually managed to convince them that he was Emma's _true love_? Neal can't help but want to scoff at the whole thing, but he knows that it won't do him any good.

The room is tense for a few more minutes, not even a damn clock can be heard ticking. "My dad wanted me to take care of the Storybook, so maybe there's a solution in here." Neal looks over at his granddaughter, who's sitting on the other side of Emma and smiles. "Good idea, kid." She gives him a grin, before opening the Storybook. "In this world, my dad published the same fairytales that are in the Storybook, so there's got to be some part of him that remembers, right?" Emma nods at her words, still holding on tightly to his hand. "Are there any differences between the two?" Lucy starts flipping through the book and then compares it to the Storybook. She stops on the last page of both and Neal's heart stops at what he sees.

Instead of a happy ending for Henry, like in the book, all that's pictured is his death at the hands of his father. "That can't be it." Neal flips the pages back and sees something interesting in the Storybook. "At least we know what'll happen next." Neal turns and locks eyes with Emma. She gives him a nod and then they both turn back to the page. On it, his father is locking Henry away in some metal box, much like the one he was locked in with his father before he died, but there's one major difference. A woman is pictured standing near the box, looking like she's ready for battle. She seems to be the key in getting him back. "That's my mom, Cinderella." Neal's eyes travel over to Lucy, who's staring at the page wide-eyed.

Everyone goes quiet again and Neal knows that the only way they'll be getting their boy out of this, is if they get to Lucy's mom before his father casts a spell to lock Henry's soul in forever. A life for a life. "My mom remembers." He looks over at Lucy who, has the biggest smile he's ever seen plastered on her face. Neal hopes that they'll be able to save Henry in time, for all their sakes, especially Lucy's. "Do you know where your mother lives?" asks Charming. Lucy gives him a nod. "Yeah, she lives in a place called Hyperion Heights." Charming exchanges a look with Snow. She turns to face Lucy. "Alright, your great grandfather and I will summon Gold with the dagger, while you find your mother." Neal grabs the Storybook and nods at the plan.

Emma looks over at her parents. "Our rendezvous point will be at Neal's old apartment. Bring Gold there and we'll get Lucy's mother to bring Henry's memories back." They both walk around the counter and over to their daughter. Snow swipes Emma's hair out of her face and both her parents wrap her in a tight hug. The moment warms his heart and it reminds him that, even though him leaving her broke both their hearts, it seems worth it now, to see her _happy_ and _loved_. Emma finally pulls back out of their arms and turns back to him. She gives him a small smile and he knows that she's thinking along the same lines as him. While their journey here has been anything but easy, these small moments of happiness make it all worth it. They both know the importance of sacrifice and they aren't afraid to go to the ends of the Earth to save their son.


	9. Back to You

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". This chapter will be a fun one, especially since we'll finally be reuniting Lucy and her mother. Thanks again for following/favoriting this story, I really appreciate your support. As always, thanks for reading.

Chapter 9

Back to You

The road to Hyperion Heights is long and animated, especially since, Lucy is babbling away in the backseat, painfully reminding her of Henry. The two are so much alike, that when she looks into the rearview mirror, she sees her ten-year-old son. Emma averts her eyes away and her heart sinks thinking about Henry being god knows where with Gold. "Em, are you okay?" She nods, knowing that Neal can see right through her, just like he always has. Emma grips the steering wheel, not saying anything else, as they pass by the "Welcome to Hyperion Heights" sign. She quickly makes it through town, praying that Lucy's mother remembers everything, like the Storybook showed them. "Right up here on the right, grandma." Emma pulls over and parks on the side of the street. She shuts off the bug and turns to Lucy smiling wide in the backseat. "Okay kid, let me and grandpa handle this." She nods at her. "Yeah, we don't want to freak your mom out." adds Neal. They all get out of the bug and Lucy leads the group up the stairs and to the right floor. Emma hopes for once, that things will go smoothly, as they reach the door minutes later and Lucy knocks.

A few moments pass, before a woman opens the door. It's strange for Emma to see her son's True Love and the mother of his child. Just yesterday, he was this little boy who made her believe in something again, and now he's a _man_ with a _beautiful family_ of his own. She feels tears begin to cloud her eyes and she quickly buries her overwhelming emotions. "Lucy, where have you been?" She watches Lucy's mother quickly get on her knees and grab onto her daughter tightly. Emma feels a pang of guilt, watching how relieved Lucy's mother looks at her daughter's return. She knows what it feels like to be a mother worried about her missing child, terrified of what could have happened to them.

Emma remembers when Henry went missing and ended up in Neverland. It had been one of the scariest times of her life, not knowing if he was okay, if he was _safe_. She guesses that the worry for your child never goes away, considering that she finds herself still worried about her _grown son_. "Thank you for bringing her home." Emma's knocked out of her thoughts by Lucy's mother's voice. Her eyes meet hers and she smiles slightly. "Actually, she brought _us_ here." Lucy's mother stands up and looks at her in confusion. "What do you mean?" Emma notices Lucy pull on her mother's hand, trying to get her attention.

Lucy gives her a big smile and turns to her and Neal. "This is dad's parents, Emma Swan and Neal Cassidy." Emma watches her mother's eyes go wide, as she looks between them. "Wait, I thought Henry's father was dead?" She turns to Neal and he shakes his head. "Technically, I am, but my father made a deal with a witch to bring me back." Lucy's mother nods at his words. "Rumpelstiltskin, Henry talked about him a lot, when he was telling me his story." Emma is thankful that Henry's already told her everything about his life, prior to the Enchanted Forest, because they don't have a lot of time. "Mom, you have to come with us because dad's in trouble." Fear flashes in Lucy's mother's eyes. "What do you want me to do?" Emma takes a sharp breath in. "True Love's kiss should do it." says Neal. Lucy's mother nods and grabs her daughter's hand tightly. Her eyes meet Emma's. "My name is Ella, if you were wondering." She nods and gives her a smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, Ella." Ella smiles back. "Let me grab something that might help Henry remember, if I can't get to him in time to kiss him." She disappears for a few moments, before coming back with a brightly colored bracelet.

At first glance, it looks like nothing out of the ordinary, but Emma knows that objects like these, can hold more meaning, when true love is involved. "Henry gave me this, when we first got together. He bought it in a market we were passing through and surprised me. I found it buried in my closet, when I was cleaning it out yesterday. It's how I got my memories back." She smiles down at the bracelet, as if it's the most precious thing in the world. Emma knows the feeling and her eyes lock with Neal's next to her. He gives her a smirk and her heart warms. She vows to herself, that whenever they get Henry back, she'll ask him for the Swan pendant. Now, that Neal's alive, she _wants_ to have it with her.

They make their way out of the apartment complex and hop into the bug. For once, fate seems to be on their side and Emma's grateful for it. She hopes her parents are having the same luck with Gold, as she puts the key into the ignition. She feels his eyes burning into her, even before she turns her head. Neal gives her a look filled with so much emotion, it makes her heart skip a beat. Fate has led them both here, even after everything they've been through together and apart, all roads leading back to each other. He gives her a smirk and holds out his hand for her to take. Emma clasps her hand in his and smiles back. "I guess we made it to Tallahassee after all." Emma feels tears begin to fill her eyes at his words. Yes, they've made it to Tallahassee, the home that they found with _each other_ and the _people they love,_ rather than in a _place_.


	10. Always

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". This is going to be one crazy chapter, I hope everyone continues to enjoy the story. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and reading.

Chapter 10

Always

Lucy lays her head on her mom's shoulder and can't help but be hopeful that everything will turn out okay. Her dad will be saved by true love's kiss and she'll finally have her family back together. Lucy smiles at the thought. "What are you smiling at?" She lifts her head off her mom's shoulder and looks at her. "I'm excited for dad to remember." Her mom nods at her. "I am too." She gives her a smile and places a kiss on the top of her head. Her grandma pulls to the side of the road and parks the bug. Lucy's heart starts racing, as she looks out the window at her grandpa's apartment. Her dad had told her that it was where he had met her grandpa for the first time and that it had always been special to him. They all get out of the bug and stand on the sidewalk. "It's been a long time since I've seen this place." Lucy turns to her grandpa, who's standing next to her. "My dad told me that this was one of his favorite places in this world." She stares at the walk-up apartment and it's not what she had expected. Her grandpa gives her a smirk and puts his hand on her shoulder, softly squeezing it.

Lucy gives him a smile back and they make their way into the building. She feels her heart race, as they walk up each step. Her dad is finally close, and things _have_ to work out. "Lucy, stay close." She turns and sees her mom walking slower up the stairs than everyone else. "Mom, are you okay?" Her mom stops and shakes her head. "No, sweetie, I'm not." Lucy's heart stops. "Are you scared?" Her mom, always strong and fearless, takes a sharp breath in. "I'm scared that none of this will break the curse. What if our love isn't _true_ or the bracelet doesn't bring back his memory? I can't face your father _not knowing me_." Lucy's heart clenches and she takes a step down to grab her hand. "It's going to be okay, mom. You have to believe it will work out, remember what dad said?" Her mom has tears in her eyes and nods her head. "Yeah." Lucy gives her a grin and squeezes her hand. "We need to complete our mission then, Operation dad." Her mom smiles wide through the tears. "Okay, let's go save him." The two rush up the next flight of stairs and she sees her grandma and grandpa standing at a door. Her grandma must hear their footsteps, because she looks over at them and shakes her head. She puts her finger to her mouth and Lucy stops mid-step and so does her mom.

Her grandpa turns to her and shakes his head. Lucy watches them open the door to the apartment and they disappear for a few moments, before her grandpa comes back out into the hallway. "It's okay to come in." She pulls her mom into the apartment and stops when she sees her dad unconscious on the bed across the room. Her eyes then move over to her great grandpa and grandma standing by the window. Her great grandpa is holding the dagger up to the _Dark One_. Lucy feels chills run up her spine and anger at the evil man. He had taken her dad and traded his life for her grandpa's. She watches the Dark One turn his head and look at her grandpa. "Please Bae, I beg you, let this be." Her grandpa walks over to his dad and shakes his head. "You traded my son's life for mine, I'll never let this be, _never._ " The room is creepily silent for a few moments, before her mom let's go of her hand and makes her way across the room to her dad.

Lucy watches her mom sit next to him on the bed and sweep his hair out of his face. It was something she used to see them do all the time growing up and it makes her smile. "Tell me how to save my boy?" Her head whips away from her parents and she looks over at her grandpa, who's staring at the Dark One with anger in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Bae, it's impossible to reverse the spell, I made sure of it." Lucy watches her grandpa take another step towards the Dark One and she knows that there's probably going to be a fight between them. Just when her grandpa takes a breath in, she sees her grandma walk over to him and grab his hand in hers. Despite everything that's going on, she can't help but smile, at how close her grandma and grandpa have gotten in the past few days. "Henry, can you hear me?" Lucy turns and rushes over to the bed. Her heart is hammering inside of her chest because she's both excited and nervous about seeing her dad again.

She makes it to the bed and looks down at his eyes opening. "Dad." Lucy smiles, as his eyes focus and then meet hers. "Daddy." He gives her a frown. "Lucy…how did I get here?" She feels tears fill her eyes. "The Dark One brought you here to kill you." Lucy watches him take a few seconds, before he nods. "I remember, but did you find your mom?" Lucy gives him a grin through her tears. "She found me. I'm right here, Henry." She watches her dad's eyes go wide, before he turns to look at her mom sitting beside him. Their eyes lock for a few moments and everyone else is quiet now, including the Dark One. "I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to kiss you?" Her mom gives him a small smile and shakes her head. "I'm the one that's going to kiss you, Henry Mills." Her smile grows wider, as she leans in and their lips meet. Lucy feels a burst of happiness wash over her and she loves seeing her parents back together again.

When her dad moves back from her mom, he gives her a grin and Lucy knows that it worked. Her heart lifts, as her dad grabs her mom's wrist and rubs his finger over the bracelet covering it. "Dad." Her dad turns to face her and opens his arms. "Come here, kid." Lucy falls into her dad's arms and holds onto him tight. "I love you, Luce. Thanks for being the one that never gave up and had faith that this would all work out." Lucy squeezes him to her. "I love you too, dad. I'm glad your back." She forgets about everyone else but her family for a few moments. It's only when she hears someone clear their throat, that she's reminded that other people are around. "This is all very touching, but you still haven't cheated death." Lucy's breath catches, as she pulls away from her parents and glares at the Dark One.

She watches her grandpa snatch the dagger out of her great grandpa's hand and holds it in front of the Dark One. "Papa, I command you to tell me how to save my son." Her grandma walks over to stand by her grandpa. "There is a way to save Henry, but it's dangerous. There's a spell tucked away in my left coat pocket and it'll bring the witch to us. The only way you're going to be able to save your son is if you defeat the witch that cast the spell." Lucy watches her grandma glare at the Dark One, before reaching into his pocket and grabbing the spell. She opens up the crumpled piece of paper and looks at the Dark One in confusion. "Wait, I recognize this spell, I remember seeing it in Regina's spell book." The Dark One smirks and doesn't say anything. "What are you hiding from us, Gold?" She sees her grandpa hold the dagger tighter. "Answer her, papa." The Dark One's eyes grow dark and it makes Lucy's blood run cold. "You don't have to answer that, Gold." Her heart stops at the voice and she feels like she's dreaming right now. "Mom, what are you doing here?" Lucy sees her father jump up off the bed and stare at Regina in confusion. "I don't want to do this, but I have no choice." Lucy watches Regina start tearing up and her heart aches.

This is supposed to be her grandma too and it hurts to see her like this. "What do you mean by 'no choice'?" asks her dad, with anger in his eyes. Regina locks eyes with him. "I have to fight you, to save you." Lucy sees a tear fall down Regina's cheek. "There's only one person that's making it out of here." Her dad shakes his head. "Were you the one that cast the second curse?" Regina nods her head. "Yes, Henry, but it's not what you think. Gold had the witch make me remember and then forced me to cast the same spell I did for the first curse. Unfortunately, with the help of Gold, she had greater dark magic that I couldn't counteract. A life for a life." Lucy looks over at her dad, who has tears in his eyes.

She reaches out to grab his hand and her mom grabs the other. She feels her own tears well up and wishes that there was another way for her dad to be set free from the Dark One's deal. "I want to fight in his place." Lucy's heart stops, as her grandpa looks over at Regina. "No, Bae, if you lose, I won't be able to bring you back." Her grandpa turns and glares at the Dark One. "I don't care, papa. I never asked you to bring me back, it was what you wanted. Now, my boy is in this situation because of me and I have to fix it." The room is quiet for a few moments, until her grandma grabs her grandpa by the hand. "I can't lose you again, Neal." He squeezes her hand back and smirks. "You won't Em, I'll always be with you and Henry. Now, let me save our son." Her grandma suddenly leans in and kisses him. She can see the tears dripping down her face and her heart aches for them.

When her grandpa finally pulls back, he gives her grandma a sad smile. "I love you, Emma." More tears fall down her cheeks, as she lays her forehead against his. "I love you too, Neal, always." The two stay like that for a few moments, before her grandpa turns back to his father. "Papa, I command you to have the witch alter her spell and have you fight in Regina's place." The room is silent again and even though her grandpa looks angry, she can see the sadness in his eyes at having to face his father. "Please don't do this, Bae." Her grandpa stares at the Dark One for a few moments, but doesn't say anything. "I need the spell to do it." Her grandma hands the Dark One the spell and he starts chanting it. Lucy prays that everyone in her family makes it out alive and that they can all find their happy endings together.


	11. The Final Challenge

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". This chapter will be pretty emotional, but I hope you still enjoy reading it. We're getting close to the end and I'll be wrapping the story up soon. I just wanted to say thanks again for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 11

The Final Challenge

Neal watches his papa move towards the spot where Regina is standing. He has a look of fear, but he's far past caring at this point. Not only had his father exchanged his boy's life for his own, he had also threatened to destroy his _whole_ family. This wasn't something he could come back from this time. Neal should have known that his father was gone, when he let him go through that portal to this world. He had been a coward then and chose the easy route. Neal won't let him get away with it this time, not after what he's done to his family. "Dad, you don't have to do this." He stops next to his son and puts his hand on his shoulder. "It's my fault that you're in this mess, let me fix it. I love you, Henry. Take care of your mom for me." Neal can feel the tears in his eyes and notices the same tears in his son's eyes. Henry gives him a hesitant nod and embraces him.

When he finally pulls back, he gives him a smile. "I love you too, dad, but I'm not giving up on you just yet." Neal gives him a nod, knowing how much faith his boy still has in him and the world. "Grandpa, wait." He looks over at his granddaughter and she rushes towards him. "I want to give you something for good luck." Despite everything, Neal can't help but smirk at her. She's so strong and fierce, in a lot of ways, she reminds him of Emma. Lucy takes something out of her little backpack and hands it to him. Neal looks down and grabs the little wooden charm. It's in the shape of a swan and he can't stop the smile that comes over his face. His eyes look up at her. "Thanks kid, I know it'll bring me luck." Lucy gives him a nod. "My dad had this carved for me, when I was a baby." Neal nods at her words and she grabs onto him. He hugs her back and his heart aches for her. For _his_ family. Neal's eyes drift over to Emma, who's crying over all of this.

Their eyes lock and the sadness in them breaks his heart. Neal gives Emma a nod, before letting Lucy go. His family hesitantly files out and Emma is the last to leave. Neal watches her stop in the doorway, both her hands braced against the posts, but doesn't turn around. He knows Emma better than anyone in this world and he knows that she's struggling to leave him behind. She's always been a natural born hero, she just didn't realize it, until she was reunited with her parents and their boy. When she finally gathers enough strength to leave, he's thankful that she's _safe_. That his family is safe. It's all he's ever wanted, which is why, this isn't the first time he's sacrificed himself.

Neal turns and takes his place across the room from his father. "Please…Bae, I beg you to reconsider." He shakes his head. "No, now how are we going to do this?" Neal watches his father start shaking. "I'm not going to fight you, Bae." Neal holds up the dagger. "Your move first, papa. What's it going to be? Choose now." His father looks at him like he's just stabbed him in the heart, but grabs a chair nearby and throws it at him. Neal ducks just in time and hits the floor. He holds the dagger firmly within his grasp and gets to his feet. Neal watches his father grab a knife from one of the kitchen drawers and rush towards him. He stops him with his arm and he can see the tears in his papa's eyes. "I'm sorry, Bae. All I wanted to do was bring you back." Neal's heart sinks at his words, as he takes the dagger and forces it towards his papa's heart. "I command you to fight, papa." His father manages to stab him in the leg and he falls to the ground. The dagger pierces through his father's stomach, as he falls on top of him. Neal can see the pain within his father's eyes, as he gently rolls him to the ground next to him.

Neal gets up on his knees and looks down at his papa. He sees the deep wound in his stomach and panic fills him. "Em, I need you in here." The door flies open, and Emma comes up behind him. She kneels down next to him and then Regina comes flying in. He looks up to see her examining the wound and then turns to Emma, who's doing the same. Neal feels his father's hand grab his wrist and he turns to look down at him. Their eyes lock and he feels an overwhelming wave of grief hit him. "Let me go, Bae. It's my time to pay for my sins, you need to get rid of the dagger, before I die, or it'll be passed on to someone else." He nods, feeling the tears gather within his eyes. "Why did you have to do this, papa?" His father squeezes his wrist and gives him a small smile. "Your death was my fault, and this was the only way I could bring you back." Neal turns to Emma, who shakes her head, and then to Regina, who does the same.

His heart shatters at the sight of his father dying, even after everything's he's done to him. No matter what, he's still his father and it still hurts him to see him like this. Neal notices someone pick the dagger up off the floor and he looks up to see Henry holding it in his hand. "Let me get rid of it, dad." Neal watches his son walk across the apartment and out the door. He turns back to his father, who's slowly dying in front of him. "I'm sorry for everything, please forgive me." Neal gives his father a nod and the tears come down his cheeks. "I forgive you, papa." His father's eyes begin to glaze over and his breathing becomes shallow. "Tell Belle, I'll be waiting for her." Neal nods at his father's dying words and watches the life go out of him. At this moment, all he can think about is the mighty Dark One, his father, paying for his sins by dying for him and for the sake of his family. It'll never make up for everything he's done, but he's happy that the kind father he loved so much growing up came back to him at the end. Neal feels the tears continue to fall, as someone wraps their arms around him from behind. He knows who it is without turning around. His light, his strength, his true love, _his_ Emma.


	12. Our Tallahassee

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Once Upon a Time". Well, this will be the last chapter of the story, and I'm glad I decided to write this story. It's been a blast to write and I thank all of you for following/favoriting. I really appreciate the supportive comments as well. I hope to write another Swanfire fanfiction in the future because I'll always love this couple. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the conclusion of "The Only One".

Chapter 12

Our Tallahassee

Emma sits on the porch of her new home in Storybrooke. It's taken years for them to get here, to Tallahassee, but she's happy they've finally made it. She watches Neal and Henry swordfight on the front lawn and she can't help but smile. Emma knows how much they both missed each other, and it warms her heart, to see them together now. Her smile grows wider, as her eyes travel over to her dad and little brother, trying to coach Neal and Henry from the sidelines. The scene is what she's always wished for and she's thankful that it's _now_ her reality.

The front door of her house opens, and she turns to see Lucy smiling wide. "My mom, grandma Regina, and great grandma, sent me out here to tell you that dinner is ready." Emma gives her granddaughter a smile. "Alright, let me see if I can drag your dad and grandpa away from their swordfight." Emma gets up from her wicker chair and makes her way down the steps. She walks across the lawn and stands next to her dad. "Dinner's ready." Her dad nods and her little brother gives her a smile. "Can't we stay out here a little longer, Henry has Bae on the ropes?" Emma shakes her head and smiles at him calling Neal Bae. A few days before, they had had a family meeting at Granny's, and decided that the best way to avoid confusion between the two Neals was to call Neal Bae, whenever they got together as a family. "Unless you want mom to come out here and pull out her bow again, I'd advise you to get your butt in the house right now." Her little brother's eyes go wide and then he takes off towards the house. Emma smirks, as he disappears, and turns back to her dad. He gives her a smile and puts his hand on her shoulder. "I better get in there, before your mother comes out here to drag me inside." He gives her a kiss on the top of her head and makes his way up the front steps into the house.

Emma turns to look at _her_ two boys, in the middle of their swordfight, and watches Henry corner Neal. He has that look on his face, the one that says he knows he's been defeated. "End match, win goes to Henry." Henry and Neal turn to her. He gives her a glare. "You don't have to rub it in, Em." She gives him a smirk. "I do, especially when our son beats you." Neal shakes his head and her heart skips a beat. Henry slaps him on the shoulder and grins. "It's okay, dad, I promise we'll have plenty of rematches in the future." Neal turns to their son and nods. "You can bet on that." Henry gives him a smile and then turns to her, looking happier than she's ever seen him. She loves the feeling of finally having their family complete.

Emma watches Henry walk up the steps and into the house. "Our boy's turned out good." She smiles at his words and turns to him. He still causes butterflies to invade her stomach and in the past, she would have been embarrassed by it, but now she relishes in the feeling. "Yeah, we did good." Neal closes the gap between them and rests his hands on both her arms. Their eyes lock and Emma's breath catches, as he takes his right hand and brushes the hair out of her face. The caress is sweet and beautiful, very Neal like, and her heart accelerates at the familiar warm feeling enveloping her heart. "You did most of the work." Emma nods her head. "I know you would have been there if you knew. Now, we have a second chance to do it together." Neal nods his head and gives her a smirk. "Are you sure, you really want to do this with me, _our_ Tallahassee?" Instead of answering, she leans in and gives him a long kiss. She'll never get tired of doing this, showing him how much he means to her, how much he's _always meant_ to her.

A few moments pass, before Neal pulls back and gives her a smirk. He puts his arm around her and holds her close. "I love you and I'll always want to do this with you." Neal squeezes her to him and the closeness between them, makes her heart accelerate. She feels his warm breath near her ear and her own breath catches. "I love you too, Em, and I'm glad I could finally give you the Tallahassee you've always deserved. The _home_ , you deserved." With that, the two walk across the lawn and soon enter the house. As they make it into their noisy dining room, she looks around at her family, and knows that she really is finally _home._


End file.
